William o keefe



(No Model.)

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HYDRAULIC ELEVATOR.

No. 384,864. Patented June 19, 1888.

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W. OKEBFE.

HYDRAULIC E LEVATOR.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

YVILLIAM OKEEFE, OF S'I. LOUIS, MISSOURI.

HYDRAULIC ELEVATOR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 384,864, dated June 19, 188B.

Application filed October 27, 1887. Serial No. 253,545. (No model.)

.To @ZZ whom it may concern.-

Beit known that I, WILLIAM OKEEFE, of the city of St. Louis, in theState of Missouri, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Hydraulic Elevators, of which the following is a full,clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, and in which- Figure I is an elevation of the apparatus with the cab down. Fig. II is a vertical section ofthe piston-head at II II, Fig. III. Fig. III is a detail vertical section of the cylinder, showing the piston-head in elevation. Fig. IV is a horizontal section of the piston-head at IV IV, Fig. II. Fig. V is a top View of the plston-head. Fig. VI is a vertical section illustrating the manner of securing the cables to the piston-head. Fig. VII is an enlarged horizontal section at VII VII, Fig. I, showing the supply and discharge valves and adjacent parts of the pipes. Fig. VIII is a horizontal section at VIII VIII, Fig. II. Fig. IX is a detailviewv of the operating rod and sleeve. Fig. X is a horizontal section at XX, Fig. IX.

1 is a vertical water-cylinder, which, in the apparatus as here shown and described, has a height fullyv equal to half the distance the cab 2 moves in ascending or descending. The cab 2 works between vertical guides 3, with which it is connected in the usual or any suitable way. The cab is supported on wire cables 4, four cables being shown. The upper ends of the cables are attached to a spirally-grooved drum, 5, the points of attachment being near or at the ends of the drum, and the grooves so arranged that as the cables are coiled upon the drum they shall approach each other, and when the cab is at its highest position the cables shall hang from the mid-length of the drum or points in proximity thereto, sothat the parts of the cables between the drum and the cab,when the latter is in elevated position, shall be vertical,or nearly so. The drum 5 is fast on a shaft, 6, turning `in bearings 7, and having keyed fast to it another drum,8,which, as here shown and described, is one-half the diameter of the drum 5 and spirally grooved in a similar manner.

9 are wire cables whose upper ends are attached to the drum 8 at or near the ends of the same. The grooves on this drum are arranged in a similar manner to the grooves on the drum 5, so that as the cablesare coiled upon the drum they shall approach each other at the points where they hang from the drum, so that at no time shall the cables be much inclined from the vertical. Four of` the cables 9 are shown, and, like the cables 4, they are arranged in pairs, each pair passing through a tubular piston-rod, 10,which works through a stuffing-box or cuppacking at 11 in the head of the cylinder 1. The lower ends of the piston-rods 10 and cables 9 are attached to the top 12 of the piston-head 13 in any suitable manner.

In Fig. VI the ends of the cables are shown passing through the top of an anchor, 14, and secured therein by fraying the strands and pouring molten metal into the .hollow of the anchor. No novelty, however, is claimed in this manner of securing the ends of wire cables. The top of the anchor has bearing beneath the top of the piston-head. The top of the piston-head has cup-packing 15, preventing the downward passage of water between the piston-head and the cylinder, so that the cab may be raised by the pressure of water uponv the top of the piston-head without any i loss of water. y

It will be understood that the cables 4 and 9 are coiled upon the drums in opposite directions, so that as the cable is coiling on one drum it is uncoiling from the other. The construction of the piston-head is such that the water is allowed to pass vertically through it when the cab is descending and the pistonhead rising. The piston-head has three chambers, 16, 17, and 18. The chamber 16 is, or may be, au air-chamber, although the presence of water will not interfere with the working of the mechanism therein.

19 are pipes extending through the top of the piston head and through the chamber 16 into the middle chamber, 17, so that the latter chamber is in constant communication with the part of the cylinder above the piston-head. The lower chamber, 18, is in constant communication with the part of the cylinder below the piston-head through holes 20 in the bottom of the piston-head.

21 is a hollow cylindrical valve closed at top,

roo V cation between the chamber 23 and the chamber 18, and thus between the part 25 of cylinder above the piston-head and the part 26 below 1t. The valve 2l passes through hydraulic packing i27 at the diaphragm 28- between the chambers 17 and 13, so that no water may escape from the former chamber into the latter when the valve is closed. This stem 29 of the valve has also packing where it passes through the diaphragm 30. The valve stem has a square or non-circular part, 31, which passes through a bearing, 32, fixed to thetop, 12, of the piston-head. Theconstructionissuchthatthe stem has free endwise or vertical movement 1n its bearing, but is restrained from turning.

33 is a sleeve turning upon the stem and carrying a cog-wheel, 34.

35 1s a cam-slot in thesleeve extending completely through it from the valve-stem to the outside of the sleeve. The lower part is horizontal. 36 is a pin projecting from the valvestem into the slot. The construction issuch that when the sleeve is turned while the pin is in the horizontal part of the slot the valve 21 is not moved 5- but when the pin is in theinclined part of the slot the valve is raised or lowered, according to the direction in which the sleeve 1s turneV 37 is acog-wheel meshing into the cog-wheel 34. The wheel 37 is upon a shaft, 3S, passing through hydraulic packing 39 in the top of the piston head. The shaft extends also through packing in the cylinder-head and into a sleeve, 40, which extends from the cylinderhead to the cable-drums, where it carries a cord-pulley, 41. The sleeve is longitudinally slotted through on both sides from near its top to near its bottom. The slot is seen at 42, Fig. IX. The sleeve is surrounded at intervals by bands 43, to prevent the spreading of the slots. The shaft 3S has at or near its upper end projections 44, which work in the slots 42, and while permitting the free vertical movement of the shaft in the sleeve causes the sleeve and shaft to turn together, so that when the pulley 41isturned the shaft is turned and the valve 2l raised or lowered by the described means.

45 is the operating cord or cable, which passes around the pulley 41 and over two guidepulleys, 46 and 47. From the pulley 46 the cord or cable 45 extends vertically downward to a pulley, 48, passing through the floor of the cab or just beside the floor, so as to be in easy ofthe pulleys 4l or 49, because itis absolutely necessary that they should be turned simultaneously. This may be done in various wellknown ways. attached to the pulley or may take one or more turns around it, (or both;) or the grooves of the pulleys may be of such a character as to prevent any slip of the cord. This maybe done by forming the groove with transverse or oblique ribs or by making it acute, so that the cord would be pressed tight in the groove. I will now turn to the water-supply to the hydraulic cylinder 1.

51 is a pipe in communication with a city main or other service, from which water may be got of sufficient pressure to work the apparatus. This pipe extends to the upper end of the hydraulic cylinder 1, with which it is in free communication.

52 is a valve in said pipe, closing against a seat, 53, to stop the pipe. The valve-stem 54 extends through a hydraulic packing, 55, and through a sleeve, 56, and a plate, 57. The part 58 of the stem passing through plate 57 is square or of other non-circular form, and passes through a hole of similar form in the plate, so that the stem is therebyl prevented from turning. The sleeve 56 upon the stem 54 has a cam-slot, 59, the upper part of which is circumferential or at a right angle to the stem, and the lower part of which is oblique.

6() is a pin fixed in the stem and passing into the cam-groove. The construction is such that if the 'sleeve is turned while the pin is in the oblique part of the cam-slot the valve 52 is moved to or from its seat; but if the pin is in the circumferential part the turning of the stem imparts no movement to the valve. The sleeve 56 carries a cog-wheel, 61, which engages with a cog-wheel, 62, on the shaft 50, so that by turning the shaft 50 the sleeve 56 is turned. The lower part, 26, of the cylinderis in communication with an eduction or waste pipe, 63, through which the water has free escape when a valve, 64, is open. The seat of this valve is seen at 65.

66 is the valve-stem passing through packing 67 and through the guide-plate 57. The part 68 of the valve-stem passing through the guide-plate is square or otherwise non-circular, and passes through a similar hole in the guide-plate, to prevent the rotation of the stem, as with valve 52. Upon the stem 66 is a sleeve, 69, similar in all respects to the sleeve 56, so that the two valves 52 and 64 will open and close simultaneously, the sleeves being turned in the same direction by means of the cog-wheels 61 and 68 upon the sleeves, which both engage with the cogwheel 62. Vheu valves 52 and 64 are open, valve 21 in the piston-head is closed and water will enter the top of the hydraulic cylinder, and will force thepiston-head downward and lift the cab. When it is desired to stop the movement of the cab, the operating-cord is moved so as to close valves 52 and 64. In doing this the pin 36 moves along the horizontal part ofthe cam-slot 35, (in sleeve For instance, the cord may be- 33,)and consequently' the valve 21is notmoved. A further movement of the operating-cordin the same direction will carry the pin 36 into the oblique part of the eam-slot 35, and the valve 21 will be opened, which will allow the water to pass through the piston-head, and the weight of the cab will carry it downward and draw the piston-head upward in the cylinder, the speed of movement being governed by the weight of the cab and load thereon and the degree to which the valve 21 is opened. It will be seen that the lowering of the cab will be done Without any waste of water, and the speed of movement may be regulated with the greatest ease by means of the operating-eord. The speed of ascent may also be regulated by the opening of the valves 52 and 64 to a certain degree. It will be understood that an eXtreme movement of the operatingcord will open either the valves 52 and 64 or the valve 2l, and that when the cord is in an intermediate position all three valves are closed, and then the cab will be stationary. The eduction or waste opening from the hydraulic cylinder 1 is made larger than the inductionopening leading into the'top of the cylinder. Thepurpose of this is to allow such free escape to the water that its weight will act to draw down the piston-head, as it will tend to form a vacuum beneath the pistonhead. In order to make this use of the waste water to the greatest degree, air should not be allowed to enter the chamber 26 at the bottom of the cylinder. The air may be excluded by an upward bend in the lwaste-pipe or by any other suitable air-seal.

At is shown a hand-hole, by which access may be had to the cylinder-chamber 26. The handle is closed by a cover, so as to prevent the entrance of air or escape of water.

In all hydraulic elevators where the water is not perfectly clear, and where itleaves the cylinder at the same end it enters, the sediment causes great damage by cutting the piston-head and cylinder, so that the hydraulic packing is quickly destroyed and channels cut in the met-al. It will be seen that these injuries are avoided almost entirely where the water is allowed to escape downward through the piston-head, as the current would wash the head clean each time the piston head moved upward in the cylinder, the current iowing inward from the packing 15 to the pipes 19. As the packing 15 extends above the level of thc piston'hcad, there is norccess in which ,thesediment can gather. A

It will be seen that the weight of the piston-head with the water contained forms a counter-balance to the cab when the cab is at rest or ascending, the water at such times always iilling the chambers 17 18 of the pistonhead, and being retained by the valve 21. Vhen, however, the valve 2l is open, the cab is descending, so that the weight of the counterbalancing pristonhead is lessened, and thus the weight of the counter-balance Varies according to the reqnirei'nents of the case.

I will now give what I consider the special advantage of the tubular pistou-rods 10, containing each one or more cables, 9.

Where a solid piston-rod is used,it may contain a hidden flaw, which will render it weak at that point,m and it may break under aheavy strain; but with wire the case is different, for the making of the wire is a practical test of its strength, and when a number of wires are together in a cable its actual strength may be definitely known, and consequently there can be no reasonable possibility of failure. A cable cannot, of course, work through a packing-box or hydraulic packing without a casing; hence the necessity of the tubular pistonrods '10, through which the cables pass. It will be understood that when a cable is stretched it tends to untwist, so that if a single cable or any number of cables were connected centrally to the piston-head the piston-head would be turned within the cylinder. To overcome this tendency, duplicate piston-rods are used,wliieh pass through distinct holes in the cylinder-head, (and thus the turning of the piston-head is prevented.)

I claim as my, invention- 1. In a hoisting apparatus, the piston-head working in a hydraulic cylinder provided with longitudinal way for the passage of water, a valve having a stem in said way, apin on said stem, a cani for engaging under said pin, and a shaft extending through said piston-head for operating said cam, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

2. In ahoisting apparatus, the combination, withthe piston having a water-wayfrom end to end, of a valve and valve-seat interposed in said way, asleeve having a cam-slot, astem secured to said valve and against rotation projecting through said sleeve, a pin on said stem engaging in 'said slot, and a shaft adapted to rotate said sleeve, substantially as set forth.

3. The combination of piston-head 13, having water-way through it, avalve in thelower part of the piston-head governing the waterway, the can1-sleeve 33, with cam-slot, a studpin on the valvestem having bearing in the cani slot, means for preventing the rotation of the valve-stem, a cog-wheel upon the sleeve, and the shaft 38, carrying a cogwheel,engaging the wheel upon the sleeve 33, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

4. The combination, in a hydraulic elevator,

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of a cylinder, a pi-ston working in said cylinder and having a water-way through it, a valve controlling the water-way, a shaft operating said valve and adapted to move endwise with the piston and through ahydraulicpaoking in the cylinder-head, and a tubular shaft telescoped upon the said valve operating shaft, which latter has endwise movement in the tubular shaft and connection therewith enforcing their simultaneous rotary movement, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

5. The combination of the three valve-stems 29, 54, and 66 of the pistonhead valve, the

shaft 50, and a cog-Wheel on shaft 50, engaging on said valve-stems, pins on the stems having cog-wheeis upon the cam-sleeves operating the Io bearing in the cam-slots of the sleeves, said inlet and outlet valves 52 and 64, substantially slots having circumferential and inclined pors and for the purpose set forth.

in1et-vaive,and the ontietvaive, cani sleeves 5 tions, as set forth, means for preventing the WILLIAM OKEEFE.

rotation of the valve-stems, the teiescoped Vitnesses: shaft 38 40, a pui-ley on this shaft, connected SAML. KNIGHT,

by the operating-cord with a pulley on the Jos. VAHLE. 

